Above – Eddie Lizzard !
Above – Dunnock
Below – Great Crested Grebes
Above – Cormorant and Mute Swan
Below – Tufted Duck
Below – Goose with Daffs
Below – Song Thrush
Regards Pauline and Mark
Category: Uncategorized
Please, no more bad hug nights like this; the right night hug is wonderful and sexy, but only when you get it from someone special; and it is not done by un unseen ‘thing’; then it becomes a bastard.
Fortunately, there are brilliant bands like the Cure; so they bring some solace when things are down.
Sorry folks for not posting recently, but have been having REAL BAD fights with my MS over the last few weeks – we all enjoy a hug, but not this kind.
As the guy says here, it is NOT a nice hug:
Regardless, have been doing a little with a friend still about live animal transport.
Anyway, things a little better today so will try and catch up with a few things; here we go.
Joint letter urges EU Chief Veterinarians to put animal welfare issues on the agenda
3 April 2023
Djurens Rätt
Together with Djurens Rätt, Eurogroup for Animals and eleven other organisations have sent a letter to the EU’s Chief Veterinary Officers (CVOs) asking to put important animal welfare issues on the agenda at the upcoming CVO meeting in April.
Ahead of the EU Chief Veterinary Officers’ (CVOs) planned meeting in Varberg, Sweden, on 25-28 April this year, Djurens Rätt has sent a joint letter along with twelve other animal protection organisations to the chief veterinarians.
The meeting’s theme is sustainability and will address current issues in the fields of animal health, welfare and food safety.
The letter outlines key animal welfare issues to be addressed at the meeting and urges the group to actively participate in the ongoing legislative process at EU level. They are also invited to participate in a meeting with signatory organisations to further discuss the content of the letter.
The letter addresses the following issues:
Reduced meat consumption and improved welfare for safe and sustainable food production
A Fur Free Europe
An end to caged animals (End the Cage Age)
Strengthened animal welfare for fish
An end to the distressing and cruel transport of animals
Enhanced animal welfare at slaughter
The full text of the letter is available here.
File
Joint letter to the CVO group for the April 2023 meeting_20230331.pdf261.03 KB
With this letter, a significant part of the international animal rights and welfare movement is sending clear messages to the EU Chief Veterinary Officers ahead of their meeting on sustainability in Varberg in April. Animal welfare is an important part of sustainability and I do hope that the entire CVO group is inspired by the content of the letter, to put the best interests of animals on the agenda and to use the opportunities they as a CVO group have, to contribute to strengthened animal welfare at EU level.
Camilla Bergvall, President of Djurens Rätt
Hope to be posting more today, but please just accept things have been and are difficult at the moment.
Regards Mark
The US military has been carrying out and funding testing on various animals.
The testing is aimed at seeing if radio frequency waves cause the mysterious sickness known as “Havana Syndrome.”
US intelligence determined last week that the ailment is likely not caused by a foreign adversary or weapon.
The US military has been carrying out experiments on animals in an effort to replicate the symptoms caused by the mysterious “Havana Syndrome,” according to a new report.
The Pentagon has been exposing primates to pulsed radio frequency waves to see if that could be the cause of the unexplained ailment that has sickened scores of US government personnel over the past few years, Politico reported on Thursday. The new report comes days after the outlet reported that the Department of Defense was continuing to test weapon systems in an attempt to recreate Havana Syndrome symptoms after an intelligence community dismissed the theory that a foreign adversary or energy weapon was to blame.
Continue reading at:
Regards Mark
PETALING JAYA: A local animal rights group has lodged a police report over videos of baby long-tailed macaques being tortured that are being offered for sale on a Telegram group.
The report was filed by Hak Asasi Hidupan Liar Malaysia (Hidup) at the Shah Alam district police headquarters following a tip-off from US-based animal welfare group Lady Freethinker and UK’s Action for Primates,
The videos are being sold in a Telegram group called “Monkey Haters”.
“It is such a brutal form of torture that should be investigated immediately by the police,” Hidup’s Dr Kartini Farah Abdul Rahim was quoted as saying by news portal Free Malaysia Today on Friday (Jan 20).
The footage depicted many despicable forms of torture, which includes, dismembering, mutilation, burning, boiling and skinning of monkeys while still alive.
“The monkeys were shrieking and screaming. During the process, the perpetrators take pictures and videos and post them on Telegram,” lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan was quoted as saying.
Read more at:
Animal rights group lodges police report over monkey ‘torture porn’ | The Star
Regards Mark
Here are the latest photographs which have been sent through by fellow animal buddy Pauline taken in and around South London.
You can see all of her past excellent images by clicking on https://worldanimalsvoice.com/?s=pauline
Finally, I want to thank her for my fabulous birthday card relating to Badgers – we are both Badger people; doing our best to speak up for and look after this iconic chunk of British wildlife. I have scanned in the basic card here for you to see, but on the real card all the heads and other wildlife move – super cool !
My super cool Badger birthday card from Pauline:
Singing Robin:
Above – Adult Herons with baby – see below.
Below – Dunnock.
Below – Heron gathers fish to feed its baby.
Below – Lapwing and Shovelar Duck.
Below – Long Tailed Tit.
Below – Raindrops on the pond.
Below – Two Robins – a bit unusual to see 2 together.
Pauline’s dad has made friends with a little mouse – you can see him enjoying some scoff here:
Grey Squirrel.
.. and finally more Robin:
My garden Badger thinks they are all pictures to smile at: he comes round each night for some food treats.
Be good to wildlife no matter what shape and form it comes in – they are all there for a reason;
Regards Pauline and Mark
New animal testing campaign
Animal Aid, based here in our home county of Kent, have set up a new website called ‘Universities Challenged’; which helps students identify which universities conduct animal experiments and which reveals the scale of animal testing across the UK.
Since its launch, Animal Aid have received an outpouring of positive feedback from students and non-animal scientists alike. Furthermore, the resource has sent rumblings throughout the scientific and educational community, as it is the first website of its kind; allowing students to make informed choices on which university to attend based on whether their fees could be funding animal experiments.
Students and community members are already using the AA resources to put direct pressure on universities, and AA are currently working with several student groups who are planning actions at their universities.
For more, go to:
universitieschallenged.org.uk | Universities Challenged
Regards Mark
NGOs call for root causes of pandemic prevention to be put at centre of new pandemic treaty
7 March 2023
Twelve leading NGOs have written to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and its Member States emphasizing that to prevent future pandemics they need to put animal welfare at the center of the WHO Pandemic Treaty currently being negotiated between the 194 Member States.
The treaty, which is being developed in light of the devastating impacts of COVID-19, will be the first legally binding international agreement designed to protect the world from future pandemics.
NGOs are stressing the need for the treaty to focus on preventing future pandemics by tackling the root causes and drivers of zoonotic outbreaks at the human-animal-environment interface. The implementation of a holistic, unifying One Health approach, which addresses the interdependence of the health and well-being of people, animals and ecosystems, can significantly reduce the risk of pathogens emerging, mutating in animal populations, and spilling over from animals to people, which can lead to pandemics.
By tackling high-risk activities such as habitat destruction, wildlife trade and consumption, and intensive animal agriculture, and transforming our relationship with animals and the wider environment, governments and international institutions can achieve equity for the most vulnerable communities that are most at risk, and by doing so protect us all from future pandemics.
The letter follows the publication of the Zero Draft of the Pandemic Treaty in early February. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), which is tasked by the WHO Member States to draft and negotiate the Pandemic Treaty, is due to meet in Geneva between 27 February and 3 March 2023, to discuss the draft.
As it stands the current Zero Draft will not protect us from the next pandemic. It is a solid foundation to build from, but it lacks teeth. This is not the time to be timid, but to be bold, because there may only be one chance to ensure the world gets this right. As we have seen with COVID-19 and now with the outbreak and spread of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza, time is not on our side. It must be much more rigorous when it comes to setting effective preventive measures, compliance and implementation.”
Nina Jamal, Head of Pandemics at FOUR PAWS
There is a large body of irrefutable evidence and a growing consensus amongst scientific, conservation and animal welfare experts confirming the association between ecosystem degradation, exploitation of wild animals, intensive farming and emerging infectious diseases and other negative impacts on human, animal and environment health. Around 75% of emerging diseases in humans originate in animals. COVID-19 brought the world to a screeching halt and we must learn our lessons. Incorporating sound approaches to animal health and welfare, including that of wild animals, at the very centre of the treaty is vital to its success.“
Iris Ho, Head of Campaigns and Policy at the Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
Wild animals are disrupted, collected, farmed, transported, exported and traded in huge numbers, more often than not enduring appalling conditions. Crowding, stress and injury among such animals provide the perfect environment for pathogen introduction, spread and mutation; cross species transmission and the close proximity to people when they are traded and consumed creates the opportunity for human transmission. Addressing the risks from wildlife exploitation and reducing our impacts on wild animals and their welfare must be essential components of efforts to prevent future pandemics.”
Veterinarian Dr Mark Jones, Head of Policy at Born Free Foundation
Late last year, two key publications by leading scientists provided “compelling evidence” showing that a seafood and wildlife market was at the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak. The analyses indicate “that the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) occurred via the live wildlife trade.” Reducing human interaction with wildlife is a key component of preventing and mitigating the risk of pandemics. Intensive livestock systems are also a dangerous breeding ground for viruses to evolve and mutate and have been associated with the transmission of zoonotic diseases in the past.
The letter was signed by:
Born Free Foundation
Brighter Green
Ecoflix
Eurogroup for Animals
Farm Forward
FOUR PAWS
Jeremy Coller Foundation
Global Initiative to End Wildlife Crime
Pan African Sanctuary Alliance
Proyecto ALA
World Animal Protection
World Federation for Animals
2022 Scientific COVID-19 Studies:
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abp8715
https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abp8337
Regards Mark
UK blast from the recent past.
Personally I feel that whatever the circumstances, introducing legislation to eradicate the entire UK cat population would have been political suicide for government – and they knew it, that is why it went no further.
Also, what are we seeing and hearing about actions being flagged about the wet markets in places such as Wuhan ? – I have not heard much, have you ?
Seems like business as usual to me. The UK government have kept their lips zipped about wet markets in China; the probable cause of Covid; yet they talk about wiping out the entire UK cat population just to make UK citizens think wrongly that they are doing something to control.
The control needs to come from source – the Chinese wet markets; no where else.
The current UK government has had it day anyway and I can predict that they will be annihilated at the next general election. They don’t put pressure on and they do not ask difficult questions about Covid to the Chinese like they should.
Regards Mark
Further reading (BBC) :
Covid origin: Why the Wuhan lab-leak theory is so disputed – BBC News
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-91470-2
UK mass pet cull considered in early days of Covid:
Mass pet cat cull considered in early days of Covid in UK, says former minister (inews.co.uk)
Government considered cull of all 11,000,000 cats in the UK at start of Covid pandemic (msn.com)
One year on since historic United Nations animal welfare resolution
3 March 2023
The World Federation for Animals (WFA) has published a report one year on from the historic United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA) where Member States passed the first-ever resolution with explicit reference to animal welfare.
The Animal Welfare – Environment – Sustainable Development Nexus recognised that animal welfare can contribute to addressing environmental challenges, promoting the One Health approach, and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is expected to explore these links in a report that draws on the expertise of other stakeholders.
The latest WFA report, “Unveiling the Nexus: The Interdependence of Animal Welfare, Environment & Sustainable Development” is being shared to help policymakers, provide a synthesis of scientific evidence, and stimulate public and open dialogue among stakeholders. It highlights the value of an animal welfare perspective to help tackle the planetary crises and accelerate sustainable development.
There is a critical scientific evidence base demonstrating how improving animal welfare can help people and the environment, including reversing biodiversity loss, mitigating climate change, and ensuring public health. This report is aimed to help decision-makers understand those connections, so they can make sustainable and effective decisions to reverse our current crises.”
Dr. James Yeates, World Federation for Animals’ CEO
We hope that by Unveiling the Nexus, we can help others see the potential for animal welfare as a cross-cutting lever for sustainable development. The facts are there. It is time to implement the solutions the Nexus lays out and enable a generational shift in international policy to protect the people, the planet, and the animals.”
Brita Riis, World Federation for Animals’ President
Regards Mark
Above – Animal activists in pyjamas protest the Veterinary Division’s lack of action in stopping a circus act
Malta – Animal liberation activists turn up in onesies to protest Monte Kristo circus
Horse show at Monte Kristo estates should be banned under animal circus rules, say activists protesting VRD inaction
Animal activists in pyjamas and pillows pulled up at the Marsa offices of the Veterinary and Phytosanitary Regulation Division (VRD) to protest the lack of action in stopping another circus act called Cleopatra’s Horse Show that is scheduled to take place at Monte Kristo estates.
Activists from Animal Liberation Malta, Real Animal Rights Foundation, Association for Abandoned Animals AAA and Vuċi Għall-Annimali held up placards saying “VRD wake up! Enforce the Law”, “VRD whilst you are snoozing animals are suffering”, “Żomm kwiet – hawn in-nies reqdin hawnhekk.”
The activists said the Cleopatra’s Horse Show clearly falls under the definition of a circus and cannot be allowed under the current legislation.
“This circus act will have horses performing for three days in a row. We contacted VRD and informed them of this circus act just in case they were not aware. Apart for not answering our communication, it seems no action has been taken to stop this from happening as the show is still being promoted to date,” an ALM spokesperson said.
“The fact that the show will happen clearly demonstrates what animal NGOs and activists have long been saying about the regulator and the law itself. The regulator has repeatedly closed its eyes to breaches in the Animal Welfare Act and the recent changes in the act have been done to regularise this.”
The Animal Welfare Act itself only inflicts a €2,000 administrative fine for breaking the law, meaning the organisers stand to be fined €666 per day for each of the three days that the show will take place.
The ALM said the Animal Welfare Act had been further degraded through recent changes in the law to give powers to the VRD to issue a “special permit” to hold such events.
“In fact, if the event were held just a few days after this, the Director of VRD would have had the authority to issue a permit for this circus act. Are we going to allow big business continue uncontrolled to the detriment of Animal Welfare as well?”
Animal liberation activists turn up in onesies to protest Monte Kristo circus (maltatoday.com.mt)
Regards Mark
World Animals Voice 